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  • Today’s Q&A About 3I/ATLAS. The following questions appeared in my… | by Avi Loeb | Aug, 2025

    Today’s Q&A About 3I/ATLAS. The following questions appeared in my… | by Avi Loeb | Aug, 2025

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    The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was discovered in a region of the sky that is crowded with stars, making it difficult to notice. The discovery image by the ATLAS telescope is shown in the inset image bracketed by the red box, which provides a zoomed-in view of the region where 3I/ATLAS was discovered. (Image credit: ATLAS/University of Hawaii/NASA)

    The following questions appeared in my email inbox this morning, as I woke up for my routine 3-mile jog at sunrise. I list them below along with my answers, since some of them reiterated what dozens of podcasters and interviewers asked me over the past few days.

    Question:

    “Dr Loeb,

    I’ve been following your work since the discovery of 1I/`Oumuamua, and am thoroughly impressed with your dedication to this subject. The discovery of 3I/Atlas is of particular interest, and I wonder if you might answer a question regarding it?

    You mentioned, in several of the interviews I’ve watched, that 3I/Atlas will be obscured from our view by the sun at the end of October. If the object is in fact technological in nature, you speculated that it could take advantage of this by potentially changing course and heading toward Earth. Based on the object’s diameter (20 kilometers), velocity (60 km/sec) and angular momentum, how large of an angular momentum impulse would be needed to redirect 3I/Atlas toward Earth while keeping it hidden from observation?

    I assume this requires an extraordinary amount of torque to accomplish this task given its current velocity. If the object slows too much, doesn’t it risk being captured in a solar orbit?

    Thanks in advance for your reply. I want to commend you on your courage to entertain this hypothesis in the face of criticism from colleagues. Statistically speaking, it seems impossible that we are alone in the universe, or even the Milky Way. Current assumptions that “everything in space is a rock” seem counterproductive and potentially dangerous in our quest for objective truth. Keep up the great work and I look forward to seeing you in future interviews as we learn more about 3I/ATLAS and other interstellar objects.”

    Answer:

    “The more likely scenario from an engineering perspective involves a mothership that releases mini-probes which perform a reverse Oberth maneuver to slow down at perihelion and intercept Earth, taking advantage of the Sun’s gravitational assist. The change in angular momentum per unit mass needs to be of order ~(0.36 au)*(68 km/s) where 0.36 au is the change in orbital radius required to get to the Earth’s distance from the Sun from the distance of closest approach of 3I/ATLAS (where 1 au=149.6 million kilometers) and 68 kilometers per second is the speed of 3I/ATLAS at perihelion. The amount of fuel required for this maneuver depends on the mass of the mini-probe. The mini-probe can potentially reach the Earth within a few months after perihelion.”

    Question:

    “Dear Dr Loeb,

    I have been following your posts on Medium since your planned and then successful expedition to the seas just north of Papua New Guinea. I had a lot of fun refreshing the browser tab each day, waiting to see if you had exciting news to share.

    The habit has continued to this day. Thank you for doing what you do. Through your Medium space I have learned that in science, humanity needs rigorous discourse and exploration of all scientific possibilities, rather than a blinkered focus on comfortable narratives.

    It is the subject of comfort that I write to you about today. Your mid-July post about the anomalous properties of 3I/ATLAS immediately struck me as extremely alarming.

    After reading your post, I reasoned that the object’s Sagittarian origin, trajectory, tactical approach to the inner solar system bodies, and unlikely size added up to an extraordinary set of coincidences that should not be ignored.

    All this is to say, I made plans (a moderate amount of long shelf-life food) after reading your initial 3I/ATLAS posts. More recent information (no cometary activity) brings to mind something Han Solo said… “I have a bad feeling about this.”

    I have no illusions about our chances of survival if we are targeted for elimination, as per the Dark Forest theory. However, I would like to spend time with my family in the leadup to a potential encounter. I figure this will be a good thing whether or not all hell breaks loose.

    Given what we know now, when would be the earliest time we could expect to greet the arrival of objects in orbit around earth? I appreciate that you are very busy; thank-you for your time.

    Yours sincerely and good-luck!”

    Answer:

    “It is difficult to forecast when and how a direct encounter with aliens would take place, even as we monitor 3I/ATLAS, because that involves many uncertainties regarding the alien travel technologies, goals and intent. The best we can do is monitor the sky with telescopes. It may well be that 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet. But even then, we have to check each and every interstellar object that the Rubin Observatory will find in the coming decade for anomalous characteristics, like non-gravitational acceleration with no cometary tail or artificial lights or unusual shape. It would be a mistake to imagine a specific form based on scripts from science fiction writers, because their imagination, just like Large Language Models of Artificial Intelligence, is limited by their training data set on Earth. Even if we keep finding interstellar rocks, we should always be open to the possibility that one of the future interstellar objects might be technological. The nature of that encounter remains to be seen.”

    Question:

    “Thanks, Avi. I always really appreciate your replies.

    May I ask one simple question — as of today, what % chance would you say 3I/ATLAS is of extraterrestrial/alien intelligence origin?!

    Best regards, “

    Answer:

    “60%. In my recent essays at

    https://avi-loeb.medium.com/

    I suggested a `Loeb Scale’ for interstellar objects where `0’ is a definitely natural object (comet or asteroid) and `10’ is a definitely technological object (identified by maneuvers or emission of artificial light or signals). Currently, I give 3I/ATLAS a 6 on that scale, but my assessment will change as we get better data on it when it comes closer to the Sun.

    Scientists change their opinions as they learn from new results. For example, Stephen Hawking wished to prove that the idea of black hole entropy — first proposed by the Princeton PhD student, Jacob Bekenstein, is nonsense. When he did the quantum-mechanical calculation, he realized that Bekenstein was right and black holes evaporate by emitting thermal radiation. This was the biggest theoretical discovery in Hawking’s scientific career.”

    Question:

    “How would an alien spacecraft look like?”

    Answer:

    An encounter with alien technology is a blind date of astronomical proportions. We should observe rather than imagine what it might look like. If alien intelligence is above ours, we may not be able to comprehend the full scope of their scientific understanding, tactics and ambitions, for the same reason that prehistoric cave dwellers who encounter a cell phone would regard it as a rock of a type that they had never seen before. The current approach of comet experts to interstellar objects reflects the stone age of space exploration.”

    Question:

    “Hi Avi, It is remarkable that the latest imaging data in the most recent observations does not show a tail trailing 3I/ATLAS. I saw an older study that found 3I/ATLAS did have a tail. What do you think led that group to make that conclusion?”

    Answer:

    “There were claims of a tail but since 3I/ATLAS is accelerating and its current size is not much larger than the angular resolution of Earth-based telescopes, it is challenging to avoid fictitious elongation of the image as a result of the object’s motion. As 3I/ATLAS gets closer to the Sun in the coming weeks, it would be easier to gauge whether it has a tail for three reasons: it will get brighter by reflecting more sunlight, bigger on the sky because it is closer to us, and if it is a comet — its activity will be enhanced as the Sun warms it up to a higher surface temperature.”

    Question:

    “Some conspiracy theorists argued that the story of 3I/ATLAS was floated as a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein files. What is your take on this?”

    Answer:

    “3I/ATLAS is a physical object in the sky at a large distance from Earth that cannot be faked because it was observed independently from different directions by the Hubble Space telescope and ground-based telescopes. You can purchase a 0.5-meter telescope yourself and look at it. Its existence has nothing to do with terrestrial politics.”

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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    (Image Credit: Chris Michel, National Academy of Sciences, 2023)

    Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s — Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011–2020). He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021. The paperback edition of his new book, titled “Interstellar”, was published in August 2024.

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  • Google Gemini can now create AI-generated bedtime stories

    Google Gemini can now create AI-generated bedtime stories

    Google rolled out a new tool within its Gemini AI chatbot that lets you create an illustrated story by simply describing it. The feature, called “Storybook,” generates 10-page stories, each with a short paragraph of text that Gemini can read aloud, along with an accompanying illustration.

    You can customize your story by asking Gemini to use specific art styles, such as ones inspired by claymation, anime, comics, and more. Google also lets you upload photos and other images for Gemini to reference, like uploading a child’s drawing and asking Gemini to create a story about it.

    I just had to try out these features for myself, so I first asked Gemini to create a story about a catfish struggling to make friends in a new aquarium. As I flipped through the “pages,” I found that the plot it generated about the tank’s inhabitants trying to move a marble was pretty lame. But other than that, everything seemed pretty standard for an AI-generated children’s story, until I came across one illustration that put a human arm on one of the fish.

    Another Gemini-generated story made a page involving spaghetti sauce look like a cartoon crime scene, while an AI image of a mother and son watching TV put the screen on the wrong side. My colleague Andrew Liszewski even spotted an AI-generated oddity in Google’s own video about the feature, which shows a woman building a spaceship and making “tap, tap, tap” noises while holding a wrench and some other tool I can’t make out.

    Besides coming across some inconsistencies in character designs, I didn’t spot any other blatant AI weirdness in some of the other stories I had Gemini create. However, the chatbot didn’t seem to share my artistic vision when I uploaded an image of a cartoon cat that I drew.

    The Gemini Storybook feature is available globally on desktop and mobile, including in all the languages Gemini currently supports.

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  • PTV secures rights to air Asia Cup and all ACC events until 2027

    PTV secures rights to air Asia Cup and all ACC events until 2027




    LAHORE (Web Desk) – In a major development for cricket viewership in Pakistan, state broadcaster PTV has obtained exclusive domestic television rights for all Asian Cricket Council (ACC) events from 2025 to 2027.

    This includes the Men’s Asia Cup in 2025 and 2027, the Women’s Asia Cup in 2026, and the U19 and Emerging Asia Cup tournaments.

    PTV Sports confirmed the acquisition on Tuesday, posting the news across its social media platforms.


    The high-profile agreement ensures that millions of Pakistani viewers will have access to every ACC tournament over the next three years. Of particular note is the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, now relocated to the United Arab Emirates and scheduled from 9 to 28 September due to political and logistical challenges between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

    Asia Cup 2025: Match venues and timings revealed

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar hailed the agreement as a “landmark achievement,” crediting the leadership of Mohsin Naqvi during his ACC presidency.

    PTV’s Executive Director Alia Rasheed emphasised the channel’s commitment to delivering premium sports content, stating the broadcaster is proud to partner with the ACC in promoting regional cricket.


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  • Inside Luka Dončić’s U.S. tour

    Inside Luka Dončić’s U.S. tour

    Luka Dončić’s shares about his offseason and contract extension during a press conference on August 02, 2025.

    Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. 

    * * *

    LOS ANGELES — The sun had set on Sunday night and a very tired Luka Dončić was thinking about getting on a plane and flying home.

    Eight days earlier, he’d flown from Slovenia to New York City for a three-city U.S. tour that ended here, on an L.A. rooftop in the city where he just committed to spend his prime. That part, the timing of this all, was a bit of a happy accident. The New York-to-Chicago-to-Los Angeles tour actually had been scheduled before the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

    So Sunday night, here he was, on the last stop on the tour, judging a dunk contest and watching one-on-one battles as part of “The One,” Jordan Brand’s global tournament. After a week full of interviews, appearances and commercial shoots, this was all that was standing between him and the peacefulness of a 13-hour flight to Ljubljana, Slovenia.

    “Exhausted,” he said of his current state.

    But then he heard it — one of the players, Kaiden Bailey, scream “He can’t f—ing guard me” to the crowd and his opponent after a bucket — and a jolt of energy shot through Dončić. A diabolical grin parked on his face as the fans erupted.

    Dončić, more than anyone on that rooftop, could relate.

    It was another moment that solidified that Dončić was right where he was supposed to be — with a new team in a new city with a new opportunity. He formalized all of that Saturday, signing a three-year contract extension with the Lakers on the first day they were able to offer it to him.

    He signed that deal, presented to him in custom purple-and-black folders with his name and the Lakers’ logo in opposite corners, with a phrase his management team had chosen on a video screen behind him — “The Beginning.”

    Messaging, as much as anything, was a goal for Dončić over the past week. His reputation was bruised after Dallas traded him to Los Angeles in February. His professional footing had been totally undone, plans of someday retiring with the Mavericks voided with a single phone call.

    After the Lakers were eliminated in the first round against Minnesota, Dončić said he was “mentally kind of exhausted from everything that happened.” But that wasn’t the version of him that returned to the U.S. for this tour.

    Lara Beth Seager, Dončić’s manager, said he’s no longer carrying any baggage from his exit from Dallas.

    “He’s moved on,” she told The Athletic.

    Dončić underwent a physical transformation this offseason, fasting 16 hours a day and adhering to strict diet and workout plans. He detailed the plans in a cover story for Men’s Health Magazine that served as the tone-setter for his trip. He spoke about the changes during a New York Yankees broadcast and in an appearance on “The Today Show.”

    While in New York, Dončić and his team dined at Cecconi’s and The Corner Store. He also taped an episode of “Hot Ones” and visited the Statue of Liberty for the first time. At the Yankees game, Dončić met with new Lakers owner Mark Walter for the first time. Dončić also surprised league employees by visiting the NBA’s New York headquarters.

    After a quick stop in Chicago, Dončić was on to Los Angeles with the Lakers’ extension offer waiting for him — with little drama ever looming about the Lakers’ ability to get him to commit.

    “I think it was always known that, when Luka was traded here, it’s, ‘He’s here now,’” Seager said. “He wants to win where he is, and it’s important that he wins and that we’re working together with the team so we’re not waiting. His mindset has never been to hop around. His mindset is to win championships.

    “His mindset is to build where he is and to work together. And as long as he’s signed with a team, it’s a marriage and you treat it like a marriage. And marriages have hard times and good times, but you’re loyal and you’re faithful to each other through it all. And that’s just who Luka is. I don’t think he ever thought. ‘I’m not signing my extension.’”

    Saturday, Dončić arrived at the team’s facility before 7 a.m, for a workout prior to signing the extension. Unaware that Seager and the Lakers had planned a surprise trip to Las Vegas later that night to see the Backstreet Boys at The Sphere, Dončić blared the boy band’s music throughout the Lakers’ facility — another sign that the organization and its star were, um, in sync.

    After the workout, he met with members of his team before officially signing the deal. Dončić announced the transaction himself on his social media accounts while pledging $5 million in grants (and mentorship) to 77 young athletes in need.

    When the Lakers opened their doors for the celebratory news conference a few hours later, reporters were met by a custom-built photo wall with moments from Dončić’s draft night, national team and brief time with the Lakers.

    He continued his work to connect with the Lakers’ fan base. Dončić had previously donated money toward wildfire relief and to restore a Kobe Bryant mural. Saturday, he deliberately opened his news conference by addressing Lakers fans in Spanish.

    “And that’s it,” he joked. “No English.”

    After the news conference, Dončić found out about the plans to attend the Backstreet Boys concert and that he’d be joined by not just his family and friends, but by teammates and members of the organization including Jeanie Buss and Walter. Buss, who usually prefers a low profile at press conferences, sat in the back of the media seats to watch Dončić and general manager Rob Pelinka answer questions about the deal.

    She later joined Dončić in Las Vegas with Walter, head coach JJ Redick and a number of teammates to celebrate his new beginning.

    “He’s only looking forward. And he’s here. He wants to get the best players here. He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him,” Seager said. “And I think that’s what he proved this offseason. ‘OK, everyone wants to say or people think that they know me or I’m not a leader or I’m this way, or I’m that way, I don’t care. They can think and say whatever they want.

    “I’m gonna show them who I am.’”

    And whether it was meeting privately with Walter in New York or with morning TV viewers on “The Today Show,” whether it was signing sneakers at the NBA Store, hitting trick shots at Dyckman Park in Manhattan or grinning at the trash talk in Los Angeles, Dončić was more like himself than he was when he last was in the states.

    Since the Lakers were eliminated, Dončić has deprived himself, trimming his diet of more than sugary foods. He’s also refrained from any real live basketball. Late Sunday, he boarded a plane to join the Slovenian national basketball team as they begin a tune-up schedule ahead of the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket championships which begin later this month.

    The first scrimmage he has with the team will be his first live five-on-five action since the Lakers were bounced.

    “I miss basketball,” he told Seager on their way to dinner at Carbone in Las Vegas.

    From the grin he had on his face Sunday on that roof, a smile that fought through all the fatigue from the jam-packed promotional tour and an impromptu Vegas celebration, it was obvious that he can’t wait to get back on the court.

    And for the next three years — and maybe more — the court that he’ll call home will be in Los Angeles with the Lakers.

    ***

    Dan Woike covers the Los Angeles Lakers for The Athletic. He’s written about professional basketball in Los Angeles since 2011, first for the Orange County Register and most recently for the Los Angeles Times. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Los Angeles Press Club and the California News Publishers Association. He’s originally from Chicago. Follow Dan on X: @DanWoikeSports

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  • August 2025 — content-news.community.sea-of-thieves — Blizzard News

    August 2025 — content-news.community.sea-of-thieves — Blizzard News

    Welcome to another edition of This Month in Sea of Thieves, and August’s turn to take a star turn in the spotlight. It’s a big month for us here at Rare as the studio’s 40th anniversary swings into focus, and we’ve got a ton of seafaring fun to put the wind in your sails and add spice to your sailing sessions!


    It’s a packed few weeks, with not just the anniversary celebrations but a new Season and a couple of exciting events too – so let’s not waste any time getting down to details…


    Rare’s 40th Anniversary – from Monday, August 4th


    The studio turns 40 years old imminently – so to celebrate, we’ve got a boatload of things to share with fans and players. Starting from August 4th, we’ve organised a suite of Ruby-themed gifts and tie-ins!


    For Xbox Game Pass Ultimate players, the sparkling Rare Ruby Emote will be available as an XGPU Perk all the way through to October 4th. The roguish Rare Ruby Hat will also be earnable via Microsoft Rewards, and from August 6th there’ll be huge Pirate Emporium discounts on Sea of Thieves sets inspired by classic Rare titles (see full sale info below).


    The free Rare Ruby Eyepatch will be on offer as a celebratory Sea of Thieves login bonus starting from the launch of Season 17 on August 14th and running right through to the September update – and a grab bag of new ruby-tinted Outpost stock will be available to pick up with your in-game gold from the same date.



    Rare-inspired cosmetics will also be purchasable in a mega-bundle from August 14th, while the glorious Ruby Reaper’s Mark Sails will be made available as a time-limited Pirate Emporium offering. Meanwhile, the optional Season 17 Plunder Pass will allow players to unlock the classically themed Rare Regalia ship set and clothing as they power through those levels of Seasonal Renown!


    There’s also more on offer in Season 17’s Rare-themed Community Weekend – but more on that later…



    Pirate Emporium Rare Anniversary Sale – Wednesday, August 6th – Monday, August 11th


    A major milestone deserves a major sale, so you can expect a huge range of deals to explore in the Pirate Emporium while this one is live! The Emporium has no shortage of ship sets, costumes, weapons and Trinkets inspired by Rare’s games and characters from the last 40 years, and most if not all of them are part of this special sale. From Bear & Bird to Paradise Garden, Night Wulf to Huntress and everything in between, there’s a look here for everyone to enjoy!


    ‘Smugglers’ Tide’ Release – Friday, August 8th


    The official Sea of Thieves soundtrack that’s streamable and downloadable from your choice of music provider gets another of its regular additions, this time the moody signature music from the upcoming Smuggler-driven Season. Check it out from August 8th, ahead of the Season’s launch a little under a week later…


    Gold & Glory Weekend – Friday, August 8th – Monday, August 11th


    Our boosted rewards Event beckons players in over the second weekend of the month, giving persistent pirates a perfect opportunity to hit level 100 Renown in Season 16 before it ends! Gold, reputation, Allegiance and Renown will all be boosted for the duration of the Event, so make sure you’re heading out on the waves to make the most of these gains.


    Season 17 Launch – Thursday, August 14th


    Announced at the Xbox Games Showcase back in June, Smugglers’ Tide finally comes to Sea of Thieves’ shores later this month. With explosive Black Powder Barrels, fresh faces to meet and interact with, Smugglers’ Route Runs and new Deeds, Commendations, rewards and treasures, our smuggling-themed Season is all set to offer pirates new ways to make their fortune.


    Stay tuned to Sea of Thieves social channels for more information on what’s to come as part of Season 17’s package.


    Pirate Profiles Launch – Thursday, August 14th


    Also launching alongside Season 17 are Pirate Profiles, which players will be able to pick up from the Pirate Emporium! For those of you who like the idea of having multiple pirate personas to roleplay with – or if you just fancy taking on new challenges with a fresh-faced pirate (and no worries about overwriting your old one) – you’ll find this feature just the thing to help you scratch that itch.



    Season 17 Community Weekend – Saturday, August 30th – Monday, September 1st


    Remember a few paragraphs ago, when we mentioned the next Community Weekend? Well, that’s all set to happen nice and early in the Season 17 calendar, with rewards and Pop-Up Plunder both themed to our 40th anniversary milestone. As usual, the Community Emissary Grade will be powered by hours of Sea of Thieves watched on Twitch – with a suite of Twitch Drops on offer for folks tuning in. Picture Walls will return to Outposts with a special ruby-red flavour, with one at The Reaper’s Hideout also back in action for the 48 hours of this Event.


    Pirates who pop in during the Weekend will receive two glorious login bonuses: the Season 17 Community Weekend Flag and the Paper Cutout Emote. And, if 100,000 World Events are completed during Community Weekend, a special Ruby Legend Figurehead will be unlocked for all participants. It’s set to be a stunning celebration of all things Rare, so make sure to mark the dates in your diary now to avoid disappointment.


    And that’s all for August! We hope to see you on the seas in honour of our studio’s milestone anniversary, and our thanks, as always, to those of you who have set sail with us at any stage of this unforgettable journey.

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  • Novo Nordisk expands legal action to protect US patients from unsafe, non-FDA-approved compounded “semaglutide”

    Novo Nordisk expands legal action to protect US patients from unsafe, non-FDA-approved compounded “semaglutide”

    • New legal actions are directed at organizations involved in illegal activities, including violating laws prohibiting the corporate practice of medicine, interfering with doctors’ decisions and steering patients toward unapproved knockoff drugs under the false guise of personalization
    • Novo Nordisk has filed more than 130 lawsuits across 40 states, resulting in 44 permanent injunctions to stop unsafe, illegal marketing and selling of knockoff Wegovy® and Ozempic®
    • These filings come after FDA issued its latest warning to patients and healthcare professionals about the serious dangers of compounded GLP-1 drugs, as the medical community and consumer advocacy groups continue to call for urgent action to protect public health

    PLAINSBORO, N.J., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Novo Nordisk today announced the filing of 14 new lawsuits to safeguard patients from unsafe and unapproved compounded drugs claiming to contain “semaglutide.” The defendants named in these lawsuits employ tactics that deceive patients into believing compounded products have been reviewed and approved by FDA or have equivalent safety or effectiveness as Novo Nordisk’s approved semaglutide medicines. The lawsuits allege that telehealth providers violate state corporate practice of medicine laws by improperly influencing doctors’ decisions and steering patients toward knockoff compounded “semaglutide” under the false guise of personalized medicine. In reality, these are unapproved knockoffs that have not been approved as safe and effective and are often made with illicit foreign active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).












    “Patients deserve safe, effective treatments from companies they can trust. No one should have to gamble with their health by using knockoff drugs made with ingredients that lack oversight and safety standards,” said Dave Moore, Executive Vice President, US Operations of Novo Nordisk Inc. “Novo Nordisk is addressing this issue through education, advocacy, and legal action against businesses that mislead Americans and jeopardize their health with unsafe and unapproved knockoffs. We urge regulators to enforce laws designed to protect public health.”

    Taking action to protect patients
    To date, Novo Nordisk has filed 132 complaints in federal courts across 40 states, targeting companies whose illegal marketing and business practices put patient safety at risk. Today’s lawsuits build on Novo Nordisk’s earlier litigation successes and expand the focus of its legal actions into two new areas:

    • Pharmacies producing unapproved compounded “semaglutide” drugs under the fake guise of personalization in violation of state law.
    • Telehealth companies where corporations, not doctors, improperly steer patient care to compounded “semaglutide” drugs using sham claims of personalization, violating California law.

    Courts have already issued 44 permanent injunctions against defendants in similar cases, prohibiting them from a variety of unlawful conduct including unlawfully compounding “semaglutide” and falsely claiming that compounded “semaglutide” products are FDA-approved, safe, or equivalent to Novo Nordisk’s authentic medicines like Wegovy® or Ozempic®. Courts have also taken steps to deter similar conduct, including ordering defendants to forfeit illegally obtained profits.

    The risks of compounded “semaglutide” made with illicit foreign API
    FDA has issued multiple alerts, the latest on July 29th, warning patients and healthcare professionals about the dangers of these knockoff drugs, including reports of patients overdosing by mistakenly administering five to 20 times the intended dose and requiring hospitalization.  

    Independent data underscores the dangers posed by compounded “semaglutide” products:

    • A recent Brookings Institution report highlights that many compounded “semaglutide” products rely on synthetic API imported from facilities in China that lack FDA oversight or quality controls. Alarmingly, 60% of Chinese manufacturers importing “semaglutide” for use in compounding or further manufacture are not even permitted to distribute that API in China for use in human drugs.
    • According to FDA data, all “semaglutide” imported into the US designated for use in compounding since June 2023 originated from suppliers in China.

    These findings confirm that the API in compounded “semaglutide” products often fail to meet basic safety standards, putting patients at serious risk.

    Novo Nordisk has launched educational campaigns like “Check Before You Inject” and “Choose The Real Thing” to raise awareness about the risks of unapproved knockoffs. Novo Nordisk also created semaglutide.com, a resource for patients to learn about the dangers of compounded and counterfeit products, as well as how to access authentic, FDA-approved treatments.

    With all doses of Wegovy® and Ozempic® available nationwide, the company continues to explore new channels to meet patients where they receive care, ensuring they can access safe, effective treatments under the supervision of licensed healthcare professionals.

    The company is fighting on behalf of patients who deserve to know what they are injecting into their bodies. For more information about these efforts to protect patients and ensure access to safe, effective FDA-approved treatments, visit semaglutide.com.

    About Novo Nordisk
    Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that’s been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to drive change to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood, and endocrine disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for lasting success is to stay focused, think long-term, and do business in a financially, socially, and environmentally responsible way. With a US presence spanning 40 years, Novo Nordisk US is headquartered in New Jersey and employs over 10,000 people throughout the country across 12 manufacturing, R&D and corporate locations in eight states plus Washington DC. For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    Novo Nordisk is committed to the responsible use of our semaglutide-containing medicines which represent distinct products with different indications, dosages, prescribing information, titration schedules, and delivery forms. These products are not interchangeable and should not be used outside of their approved indications. Learn more at semaglutide.com.

    © 2025 Novo Nordisk All rights reserved. August 2025.

    SOURCE NOVO NORDISK INC.


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  • Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Package arrives at Porsche

    Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Package arrives at Porsche

    Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is excited to announce that the 911 GT3 RS equipped with the Manthey Kit is now available for customers to drive at the Porsche Track Experience (PTX) at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. This exclusive opportunity is offered only in the most advanced level courses of the Porsche professional driving curriculum. The courses offer a rare opportunity through spring, 2026, to experience the on-track prowess of this model.

    “On racetracks, balance is key to performance whether you are talking about smooth throttle and brake inputs or chassis setup and aerodynamics. The 911 GT3 RS is all about maintaining that balance in highly demanding scenarios where consistent aerodynamic performance is critical to quick laps,” Porsche Track Experience Chief Instructor Cass Whitehead said. “The Manthey kit focuses even more on track-based performance than the standard GT3 RS. There aren’t many examples equipped with these kits, so getting to experience the car in both its standard configuration and with Manthey parts is an incredibly special opportunity.”

    Developed in collaboration with Porsche engineers in Weissach and motorsport specialists at Manthey, the Manthey Kit transforms the already formidable 911 GT3 RS into an even more capable track machine. With over 2,200 lbs. of downforce at 177 mph, the car delivers extraordinary grip, stability, and speed through corners. Overall, downforce increases by 20 percent compared to the standard 911 GT3 RS with no added drag.

    Aerodynamic enhancements include a significantly larger front lip, dual dive planes, revised Gurney flaps, and a wide rear diffuser. A DRS (Drag Reduction System) rear wing with enlarged endplates and rear wheels with carbon fiber aero discs improve airflow. A lightweight carbon fiber panel replaces the rear window, topped with a motorsport-inspired shark fin and six roof fins that help manage heat and maintain airflow at high speeds.

    The semi-active coilover suspension in the Manthey Kit has been specifically tuned for the additional downforce. Spring rates are increased by 30 percent in the front and 15 percent in the rear, while new dampers offer independently adjustable compression and rebound settings.

    Brake performance is also optimized for track conditions. Braided steel brake lines improve pedal feedback and responsiveness, providing greater confidence under heavy braking.

    Only students enrolled in the most advanced courses will have the chance to experience the 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Kit. These programs are tailored to experienced drivers who want to explore the highest level of vehicle performance with expert coaching. The curriculum includes advanced driving techniques, high-speed cornering, and data analysis, all conducted on the challenging and beautifully maintained 2.38-mile, 16-turn road course at Barber Motorsports Park.

    “PTX has been operating at Barber Motorsports Park since 2003 and has recently announced the expansion to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2026,” Michelle Rainey, Director of Porsche Experience Centers, said.  “Our professional instructors, challenging race circuits and fleet of 70 various Porsche models create the ultimate experience.”

    Programs that include the opportunity to test the new 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Kit are summarized below.

    Masters RS – a three-day course designed for graduates of the Masters program who are ready to further sharpen their skills, learn race craft and extract maximum performance from a Porsche. Participants who complete this course are eligible to apply for a SCCA Full Competition License.

    Masters RSR – a four-day course that provides added emphasis on data, video analysis, car control skills and added track time. As with the Masters RS program, drivers who complete this course are eligible to apply for a SCCA Full Competition License.

    Masters TR – an invitation-only, two-day course for graduates of the Masters RS program. Increased track time is the primary distinguishing element of this course versus its predecessor.

    Inquiries and bookings are possible at porschedriving.com.

    • Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Package arrives at Porsche Track Experience
    • Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Package arrives at Porsche Track Experience

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  • Michelle Williams on the Real Love Story at Center of ‘Dying for Sex’

    Michelle Williams on the Real Love Story at Center of ‘Dying for Sex’

    This isn’t Michelle Williams‘ first Emmys rodeo. The golden laurel has taken residence in her home since 2019, when she won for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie for portraying Tony-winning actress and dancer Gwen Verdon in the FX biographical drama Fosse/Verdon. Now she’s back in the same race for Dying for Sex, also on FX, but that doesn’t make campaigning any easier.

    “I get so nervous,” Williams, 44, confesses. “It’s a lot of adrenaline and I still have to keep taking my own advice, which is to try and stay in the moment and enjoy it because it’s all over so quickly.”

    Williams is nominated for her portrayal of real-life podcaster Molly Kochan, who, upon a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2015, separated from her husband of 15 years and embarked on a journey of sexual exploration that included multiple casual liaisons with a variety of male suitors. In 2018, she and best friend Nikki Boyer, played by Jenny Slate in the series, started the podcast Dying for Sex, on which she detailed her numerous hookups, cancer experience and childhood traumas. Kochan then spent the final months of her life writing her memoir, Screw Cancer: Becoming Whole — which Boyer later self-published — before she died in 2019 at the age of 45.

    As soon as showrunners and executive producers Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether presented the limited series idea to Williams, she recognized a professional calling.

    “It wasn’t an intellectual thought or a conversation that I had with a bunch of people,” says Williams, who’s also an executive producer of the project. “It was like my heart committed to this the moment that I read the script and listened to the podcast.”

    Contrary to what the series’ title may suggest, the eight-episode comedy-drama doesn’t revolve around sexcapades — though there are plenty of those, including an ongoing and unexpectedly intimate tryst between Molly and her unnamed neighbor, played by Rob Delaney, who received a supporting actor Emmy nod for his role. At the core of the show is the bond that grows increasingly deeper between Molly and Nikki, and Williams notes the goal of the series was “to honor the love that exists between women and show that a friendship can be as passionate as a romantic relationship.”

    Despite the heaviness of the circumstances the friends find themselves navigating — cancer support groups, convoluted health care coverage, palliative care — the series is not without levity, with Williams personally finding humor in the understatedly hilarious ways the creative team brought the details of the story to life onscreen.

    Jenny Slate (left) and Michelle Williams portray real-life friends Nikki Boyer and Molly Kochan in Dying for Sex.

    Sarah Shatz/FX

    Says Williams with a laugh: “You read something in the script like the puppy guy and they’re doing puppy play and she’s going to pee on puppy guy and you’re like, ‘Well, I wonder what kind of dog it’s going to be, what’s this puppy going to look like?’ And then one day this marvelous actor [Conrad Ricamora] shows up and you’re like, ‘Oh wow. I never imagined that it was going to be a vizsla. It’s a red dog!’ “

    The morning Emmy nominations were announced on July 15, the Dying for Sex crew’s group chat was abuzz with congratulatory messages over the nine nods it received, including outstanding limited series, contemporary costumes, casting, writing, directing, music composition and supporting actress for Slate.

    “Now we get to be partnered over the excitement of sharing this nomination together,” says Williams. “It means we get to keep seeing each other and it means in some ways that the show isn’t over; we haven’t lost our connection to it completely. I’m excited to revisit the bond between me and Jenny, between the two women who wrote and created the show, Liz and Kim, our costume designer [Melissa Toth], our director, Shannon [Murphy]. To share this with our entire team is so moving.”

    Critical acclaim notwith-standing, Williams has found it equally fulfilling to experience the reaction from viewers who see themselves in Molly and Nikki.

    “I continue to be moved by the response from the communities that this show is really speaking to: the cancer community, the bereaved community. To feel like the work that you did has found a meaning in somebody’s life is beyond my wildest dreams of what I could offer,” says Williams. “Every time that I hear from somebody who feels aided and abetted by this show, I am hands together in a prayer emoji.”

    This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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  • Simone Charley all smiles after first NWSL match in over two years

    Simone Charley all smiles after first NWSL match in over two years

    By the time Simone Charley stepped onto the Inter&Co Stadium grass on Sunday, it had been 854 days since she last played professional soccer, a number that Simone herself had been counting leading up to her return.

    Over two years filled with setbacks, comebacks, more setbacks and recovery. So when the fourth official’s board went up, and her number lit across the screen in the Pride’s match last night against the Utah Royals, the forward couldn’t stop smiling as she took her first steps onto the Inter&Co Stadium pitch.

    After suffering not one, but two Achilles tears in back-to-back years, first with Angel City in 2023 and then in preseason with the Pride last year, the emotions of those setbacks were, obviously, very intense.

    “I cried my way through these two years,” Charley admitted. “But it means the world to me to be able to celebrate with the people who helped to get you there, because this journey has been, easily, one of the hardest things that I’ve been through, and I wouldn’t have gotten here if it wasn’t for the people out there on the field.”

    Those teammates, staff, friends and family were all there to support her through the road to recovery, constantly cheering her on and hyping up every little victory she had.

    “I just think back to how many people worked so hard to get me there,” shes said. “I think of Cory [Price], I think of Erin [Angelini], I think of Kelly [Turney], who’s the one who carted me off the field as I’m sobbing that I tore my second Achilles. There are so many people like Kelly, I feel like those are all the people who come to mind. As I stand there, just standing on their shoulders, and then I run out on the field and I’m like, ‘It’s happening, guys, it’s happening.’”

    Leading into the match, the nerves were naturally very high, so getting advice from someone who had been in her shoes, NBA Hall of Famer and Pride minority owner Grant Hill, was exactly what she needed. Hill, who famously overcame multiple ankle surgeries during his 19-year basketball career, told her two simple words: have fun.

    “He told me just to have fun. No judgment, and just relax and be yourself,” she recalled. “I feel like I was just like, I’m gonna have fun today, and I feel that’s what I tried to do.”

    Even with limited minutes, Charley didn’t waste time making an impact, nearly getting on the scoresheet just seconds after subbing in. Although it was only 12 minutes (plus stoppage time) of action, it was still a massive moment in the comeback journey for Charley.

    “It kind of feels like riding a bike,” she said. “In this two-year journey, I’ve honestly rekindled my love of the game. I think when you’re a professional, there’s a lot of pressure, and I think you can lose sight of why you play. But I’ve been having so much fun, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun. I feel like, when I got the ball and I’m dribbling and cutting and doing all these things, I’m just having fun. This is why I started playing when I was five, because it was so fun, and I feel like that again, and it’s just the biggest blessing.”


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  • Everything new in iOS 26 beta 5

    Everything new in iOS 26 beta 5

    iOS 26 beta 5 is out now for iPhones on the developer beta release cycle. Below we’re collecting all of the iOS 26 beta 5 changes compared to the previous version.

    iOS 26 beta 5 changes

    The first thing we noticed in iOS 26 beta 5 is a bouncy new animation when the Lock Screen before entering your passcode or unlocking with Face ID or Touch ID. The new beta also introduces a lot of splash screens for Apple’s built-in apps that will appear upon first launch after updating to iOS 26.

    Unlike iOS 26 beta 3, Liquid Glass appears to have stayed the course with beta 5. No surprise there considering Liquid Glass is a key design element of the iOS 26 redesign (even if legibility edge cases remain).

    When editing your Home Screen layout, the – buttons now use Liquid Glass texture instead of the more opaque background from iOS 18.

    There’s also a nice new AirDrop icon in the share sheet:

    This was the previous version:

    Camera now has a toggle to revert the swipe direction for switching shooting modes. Meanwhile, Mail has restored the Select button used when selecting multiple messages to mark as read or archive. Both were big complaints in previous betas.

    Notification Center is still completely clear when being pulled down. iOS 26 beta 4 improved legibility by adding a darker version when notifications are present.

    As a reminder, Apple is currently running two iOS 26 beta programs. The developer beta gives you access to the latest build, while the public beta tends to be a version behind (or at least a week) for fewer surprises.

    Stay tuned for updates. See anything we missed? Drop us a line at tips@9to5mac.com!

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